A new Nile perch fisheries management plan for Lake Victoria

A new Nile perch fisheries management plan for Lake Victoria

March 2015 - Sandy Davies (NFDS Technical Director) was in Entebbe, Uganda to work with the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO) and the three member countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as part of the SmartFish team assisting with developing a revised fisheries management plan for the Nile Perch.  Nile perch was introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1960’s and is now the basis of a valuable shared commercial fishery that is evolving in a sensitive natural environment. The Nile perch fishery is: open access; small-scale; export orientated; 50% illegal (fishing and related activities); and producing around USD 1.2 billion a year in production value and more than USD 800 million a year in value-adding. The team will assist the LVFO countries to finalise the FMP and prepare a policy brief and field guide to increase awareness of this important plan. Photo courtesy of LVFO